Bill Engvall Announces Retirement from Comedy: ‘I Wanted To Go Out Loving It’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Comedian Bill Engvall recently shared why he chose to step back from his comedy career.
Engvall. who has hosted the MOVIEGUIDE® Awards show, said that the death of fellow comedian and friend Bob Saget led him to reflect on his career and going out at the top of his game.
“There’s really nothing left for me to do,” the comedian said, pointing to his successful stand-up career, as well as his many TV gigs.
“I used to tell my wife that one of my fears was of dying on the road, and when we lost Bob Saget and some of these other guys, I [thought], the longer you do this, the odds are greater that’s going to happen,” Engvall said.
He continued, “We’re never able to cheat death, but I’ve got grandkids now, and I want to be a part of their life. There’s just more out there for me to do. And listen, it’s been a 42-year blast journey. I loved every moment of it, and that was why I wanted to go out loving it too, not hating it.”
Engvall pointed to the recent change in attitudes towards comedians as well, citing Will Smith and Chris Rock’s altercation at last year’s Oscars.
“I don’t think he has any idea what ball he set in motion, but when Will Smith walked on stage and slapped…Chris Rock, he unleashed this box that people feel like they can do anything now,” he explained. “There didn’t used to be this fear in the back of your head of like, ‘is someone going to come out of the darkness of the stage or the theater or something?'”
He shared a moment during a recent show when, after telling a story about giving his son a Swiss Army Knife, someone from the audience stood up and placed a knife on the stage.
“I could have had him thrown out of the theater or anything, but I didn’t. I just said, ‘well, you know, you don’t toss stuff on stage.’ It’s like you almost have to talk to him like a little kid,” he said. “Especially now, you can’t even make any jokes politically if just because they’re just ready to pounce.”
Engvall also spoke about cancel culture, especially when it comes to comedy, saying that comedy has become “an instigator…people go to shows wanting you to say something that’s going to offend them.”
Even though the comedian is glad to be retiring, he did admit there are things he will miss about life on the road.
“There’s nothing better than when you’re on stage, and you and the audience are on the same wavelength, and you’re just pounding them and just the rolls of laughter that were coming on that,” Engvall said. “I’ll miss that rush, but I won’t miss being in a hotel for 23 and a half hours while I’m waiting to go on stage. That gets old.”
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